1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates devices especially adapted for lighting charcoal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many people like to cook using a grill heated by charcoal briquets. However, before the charcoal briquets are hot enough to provide heat for cooking, the charcoal briquets themselves must be ignited. One way to ignite charcoal briquets is to use a liquid charcoal ignitor fuel. The use of a charcoal ignitor fuel has a number of disadvantages. The liquid itself may be an environmental pollutant. Moreover, if too much liquid ignitor fuel is used, the fuel may dangerously flare up and cause burns. In this respect, it would be desirable if a charcoal ignitor device could be provided which does not employ a liquid ignitor fuel.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to igniting charcoal briquets without using a liquid ignitor fuel, and the following U.S. Pat. Nos. are representative of some of those innovations: 3,605,653; 4,238,201; 4,503,835; 4,531,507; and Des. 346,530. More specifically, each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,605,653 and Des. 346,530 discloses a charcoal ignitor device that employs a gaseous fuel for igniting the charcoal briquets. With U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,653, a long tube is placed under a pile of charcoal briquets, and a bottle of gas supplies an ignitable gas to the long tube and the pile of charcoal briquets. As the fuel from the bottle of gas burns under the charcoal briquets, the heat from the burning fuel heats the charcoal briquets. However, a person must hold and support the bottle of gas as the charcoal is being heated. This fact ties up a considerable amount of a person's time. Moreover, standing and holding the bottle of gas for an extended period of time may be tiresome and fatiguing. In this respect, it would be desirable if a charcoal ignitor device could be provided which does not require a person to hold and carry a bottle of gas as the gas is being burned for heating the charcoal briquets.
U.S. Patent No. Des. 346,530 discloses a gas fired charcoal lighter which has a plurality of tubes and jets and which appears to be required to be placed under a pile of charcoal and in direct contact with the charcoal. As such, particles of charcoal can rub against the jets and clog them. Moreover, the charcoal lighter may be left under the charcoal briquets after they are lit and used for cooking. As a result, food residues can also clog the jets of the charcoal lighter. In this respect, it would be desirable if a charcoal ignitor device could be provided which does not permit flame jets to come in direct contact the charcoal. Moreover, it would be desirable if a charcoal ignitor device could be provided which does not remain in contact with the lighted charcoal when the charcoal is employed for cooking.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,201 discloses a charcoal briquet lighter which employs a pasty fuel which is alcohol based. For reasons similar to not using a liquid ignitor fuel, as mentioned above, it would not be desirable to use an alcohol-based charcoal ignitor composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,835 discloses a charcoal briquet lighter that employs solid fuel, such as newspapers. It is well known that burning paper creates ashes. In addition, burning paper often creates large quantities of smoke. In this respect, it would be desirable if a charcoal ignitor device could be provided which does not create any ash and does create substantial quantities of smoke.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,507 discloses a charcoal lighter device which employs a portable container that contains a quantity of charcoal. The portable, charcoal-containing container is placed upon an already ignited charcoal grill. The portable container has no self-contained fuel source. Clearly, the portable container cannot be employed unless a previously ignited charcoal bed is available. In this respect, it would be desirable if a charcoal ignitor device could be provided which has a self-contained fuel source and does not require the presence of a previously lit charcoal bed.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use charcoal lighter devices, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a charcoal lighter apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not employ a liquid ignitor fuel; (2) does not require a person to hold and carry a bottle of gas as the gas is being burned for heating charcoal briquets; (3) does not permit flame jets to come in direct contact the charcoal; (4) does not remain in contact with the lighted charcoal as the charcoal is employed for cooking; (5) does not create any ash from burning the ignitor fuel; (6) does not create substantial quantities of smoke from burning the ignitor fuel; (7) has a self-contained fuel source; and (8) does not require the presence of a previously lit charcoal bed. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique charcoal lighter apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.